Community colleges like HACC are quickly adapting

The Pew Research Center recently reported disturbing statistics for higher education. It found that a majority of Americans (57 percent) say our higher education system fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend. An even larger majority — 75 percent — say college is too expensive.

The inauguration and investiture of Dr. John J. Sygielski as the seventh president of Harrisburg Area Community College. Dr. Sygielski hugs HACC graduate John Campbell after Campbell spoke about HACC.
10/21/2011
DAN GLEITER, The Patriot-News

The dilemma we face is how to get our students to those higher-paying, more secure jobs if they can’t afford college? And, without question, it’s getting harder to find the money. Pell Grants are under serious scrutiny at the federal level, and state support of higher education is shrinking in Pennsylvania, with $650 million cut from the budget last year alone.

For 47 years, HACC has prided itself on being the region’s most affordable source of post-secondary education and training in the region. A state resident who completes two years at HACC before transferring to a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education school, for example, pays $1,140 less for tuition than a student who enrolls at a PASSHE school the first two years. For students from one of HACC’s sponsoring school districts, the savings are even more dramatic, $4,290.

In a day when even a public university can represent an investment of about 70 percent of the income of a lower middle-class family and more than half of middle-class students can’t afford the tuition, community colleges such as HACC fill a vital role in our economic development.

We are proud of the more than 50,000 alumni who are making a difference in central Pennsylvania, the nation and the world. A conservative estimate shows the 85 percent of HACC alumni who live and work in our communities have contributed more than $1.1 billion to the region’s economy. More than two-thirds of HACC’s 22,595 students attended part time last fall while contributing to the economy by holding down jobs to support their families. Many of those students (63 percent) were females.

Even at HACC, students are feeling the financial squeeze. Pressures on our school district sponsors forced a reduction in their contributions while costs continued to rise. That, coupled with the state’s reduction in support, drove tuition up 7 percent overall and by double digits for students from sponsoring school districts.

And, we know that when tuition is high, residents might decide not to pursue post-secondary education, thus limiting their options and lowering the level of training and education in the workforce. HACC helps students overcome the financial barriers:

Each campus makes a special effort to raise scholarship dollars. As a result of hard work and generous giving, we’ve raised an additional $2 million since 2008. During the last three years, 3,372 students have received nearly $2.8 million in financial assistance through the HACC Foundation.

We have streamlined the financial aid process. We work diligently with students to find the right mix of grants and loans to make college possible. More than 70 percent of our students receive financial aid, including Foundation scholarships.

We realize we must reformulate our mission to continue providing access and opportunity for education through courses that serve as the foundation for a career, a new life or a new perspective. But it also means that we must continue to find new and better ways to deal with special kinds of students, including those who take college courses while enrolled in high school, those who take a single course with us while enrolled at four-year schools and those who need to enhance their workplace skills or pursue a new career to succeed in a changing economy.

Creating new pathways for students in noncredit workforce courses and high school career and tech programs to receive credit for training completed that can be applied toward an associate degree.

Providing a seamless transition for our graduates who go on to four-year institutions, with articulation agreements with more than 40 colleges and universities.

Making evaluation and assessment key components of our strategic plan. We use public funds, and we’re being asked — rightfully so — about our return on investment. We are working on a “report card” for our institution that will let everybody see exactly how we’re doing and guide us in the areas where we need to improve.

Embracing the National College Completion Agenda put forth by President Obama and endorsed by the American Association of Community Colleges. We are determined to help reach the goal of having the majority of Americans hold a post-secondary degree by 2025.

HACC accomplished a great deal in 2011, but there is more to do in the years ahead. HACC has always risen to the challenge, and I expect us to help lead the way to a brighter future again.

John J. “Ski” Sygielski is president of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.